supply chain sustainability

The present article was carried out with the aim of presenting a supply chain sustainability model using blockchain technology based on an innovative strategy in the food industry. In terms of purpose, it is mixed, cross-sectional and research. 21 participants of the qualitative part were selected in a purposeful way until reaching theoretical saturation. In the quantitative part, 135 managers and experts of companies active in the country's food industry were used. The data collection tools are semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Validity according to Lincoln and Goba's point of view and reliability was estimated as 0.652 based on Holstein's formula. Convergent validity and divergent validity, combined reliability and Cronbach's alpha were used to measure the validity of the questionnaire. Data analysis was performed in the qualitative part with the foundation data method and MAXQDA software, and in the quantitative part with the partial least squares method and SMART PLS software. Based on the paradigm model of the research, it was determined that blockchain technical platforms and blockchain management platforms provide the necessary background, and blockchain barriers in the supply chain play an intervening role. Innovative strategy leads to environmental, economic and social sustainability.

Early models of data envelopment analysis are not suitable for evaluating two-stage structures due to the black box view and lack of attention to internal processes. In these structures, Deriving the efficiency frontier and fairly determining the optimal value of variables is the most important challenge. In many existing two-stage models, the efficiency frontier is not plotted or the optimal value of intermediate variables is determined by one of two steps. This leads to incorrect calculation of the efficiency of the next stage and the total efficiency. In fact, in these models, poor performance of one stage leads to reduced efficiency of the other stage. In this study, by keeping the intermediate variables constant at the current level and with an input-output oriented approach, radial and non-radial models were developed on a constant and variable returns to scale in terms of efficiency. Using mathematical relations, the validity of the models was proved and shown that in the proposed models, the performance of the units in steps is compared with a unit on the efficiency frontier, and the models make the whole structure efficient by bringing the steps to the efficiency frontier. The proposed models were used in an applied study to evaluate the sustainability of nine supply chains of tomato producers. Their performance results were expressed by four models as well as the optimal value of inefficient unit variables in each of these models.

Supply chain sustainability is necessary for businesses today, so organizations pay attention to social and environmental goals in addition to economic goals. Therefore, to ensure the realization of these goals, measuring the sustainability efficiency of the supply chain is considered inevitable. The problem of assessing the performance of supply chain sustainability, on the one hand, is affected by the inherent conflicts of interest among sustainability goals, which increase the complexity of the problem, and on the other hand, it should be configured in a way that can simultaneously provide sufficient knowledge of the efficiency of overall supply chain sustainability and sustainability goals. In this study, a combined mathematical model of data envelopment analysis and game theory is presented to evaluate the sustainability efficiency of the supply chain and the efficiency of sustainability goals by considering the trade-offs among sustainability goals. The trade-offs among sustainability goals are formulated using the Nash bargaining game in such a way that the ability to provide simultaneous results is related to the overall efficiency of supply chain sustainability and the efficiency of each sustainability goal. The proposed model was evaluated under a case study for appraising the efficiency of supply chain sustainability of an Iranian pharmaceutical company. The results of the model implementation indicate that the proposed model is firstly capable of simultaneously providing efficiency values of supply chain sustainability and each sustainability goal, and secondly, it provides the necessary and sufficient knowledge in comparison of these values for efficient and inefficient products.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of COVID-19 on the robustness, resilience, and sustainability of the supply chain of e-commerce companies. The statistical population of this research is all e-commerce chain stores in Semnan. As the number of units located in this city is limited to several e-commerce chain stores; Therefore, due to the limited statistical population, the statistical sample size of 136 people is considered using the Morgan table. On the other hand, the sampling method used in the present study is convenience sampling. In addition, four standard questionnaires were used to assess research variables. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was also used to measure reliability. Data analysis in this study was performed using structural equation modeling with partial least squares approach using SPSS and SmartPLS software. Findings showed that Covid-19 has a negative and significant effect on supply chain resilience and robustness. Supply chain resilience and robustness have a positive and significant effect on supply chain sustainability and sustainable outcomes.

In the present era, successful organizations seek to gain a sustainable competitive advantage and experts in the realm of managing supply of organizational resources have adopted a creating approach in supply operation in order to maximize profitability and welfare and, at the same time, minimize environmental effects in the processes of logistics and supply chain. IRI Army inevitably need to adopt innovative approaches to strengthen its logistics and military support system. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the application of open innovation and strategic sourcing technique on military supply chain stability.

The present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of information collection method. The statistical population of the study 68 senior experts working in IRI Navy logistics bases of. Three questionnaires of strategic sourcing, supply chain sustainability and open innovation were used to collect data and their validities were confirmed based on face validity and content validity. The reliability of each questionnaire was calculated on the based on Cronbach's alpha and they were satisfactory, i.e., 0.87 (strategic sourcing), 0.91 (supply chain stability) and 0.99 (open innovation). Quantitative data analysis was performed in the descriptive statistics section using SPSS and EXLE software and inferential statistics were performed using structural equation method and partial least squares approach using Smart PLS.3 software. The validity and reliability of the structure were also measured and they were appropriate.

Results of this study indicate that strategic sourcing has a positive and significant effect on supply chain sustainability and open innovation. Besides, open innovation has a positive and significant effect on supply chain stability.

Long-term interaction with supplies in supply chains has nowadays become a key activity in organizations, and the companies attempt to improve their capabilities by using it. Due to the limitations of capable suppliers, ongoing technological developments, and the market's new requirements, it is necessary to develop the shortlist of each organization's suppliers, which is both time-consuming and costly. Thus, the development of suppliers' competitive capabilities is a strategy for creating shared benefits for all members. But, what is the correct position of the suppliers' development? What is its preface?This research aims to design a model for the development of the suppliers of a contractual holding company within the domain of engineering and design, production, construction, erection, and commissioning to establish sustainability in the supply chain. Therefore, by creating a model, through giving prominence to appropriate relations with each supplier, the improvement of the suppliers through the combination of qualitative and decision support models will be provided, so that all quantitative and qualitative criteria of purchase management are taken into consideration.

In this research, a process model and software for suppliers' development in the contraction field is provided employing qualitative patterns and decision support models for the sustainability of the supply chain. For this, along with the growth factors, requirements of customers, and beneficiaries in environmental; social, and economic dimensions are included. Therefore, methods such as investment, performance enhancement of key purposes, and training are used. To evaluate the suggested model, ten suppliers, qualifying the requirements of the conglomerate contractual company, are recognized and analyzed for seven months in cognitive, development-monitoring, and executive sections. The results obtained confirm the validity of the model and software in expert panels.

The main findings of this research are the design of a comprehensive process model and software within a sustainable development framework. In the recent model, contrary to the previous research, all different working areas of the suppliers for all contractual companies with the various buyer and seller relations have been considered inclusively. The output of this model is the plan for the integrated development and improvement of each supplier.The tracking of the improvements gained for different areas shows that, out of 39.29 percent total improvement, 15.99 percent is related to 40 percent of the suppliers with strategic unity. The remaining 23.30 percent is related to other suppliers.

The challenges are motivating suppliers' participation, the permission of client involvement into details, and delay of some development plans. For further research, it is suggested that the chapters of recognition instruments and the gap analysis be revised and, if necessary, the empty module of the model be completed. For the software section, the system can be developed integrally online.

Through reviewing suppliers, the development of suppliers was classified in the form of investment conglomerate company through consultation and training, persuasion, promotion of performance goals, the necessity to execute standards, and supervising their execution and legal obligations and determination of the strategies and key objectives. The other development tool was provided appropriate for any action suggested. The main barriers of improvement actions to be implemented by suppliers can be summarized as the lack of organization’s senior managers’ support due to the informal execution of the project within a short time (seven months), and more than one-year time needed for improvement actions (i.e., the results of the actions were not achieved in monitoring section).

As the development and implementation of the model are related to the sustainable supply chain, the social responsibility in each supplier is also promoted through the assessment of the indicators. For this purpose, various methods including rules implementations, following national and international standards, training and investment are used.

The novelty of this research is the development and simultaneous implementation of the three phases (assessment, development, and monitoring) in an integrated sustainable supplier development model.